He came to share with them about the braille alphabet and what it is like to work with students who are visually impaired. He explained that certain students have different ways of learning. It just so happens one of the second graders in the class, Colton McCurdy, is visually impaired.

The visitor is Saul Ramos who was named the 2017 Education Support Professional of the Year, selected by the National Education Association (NEA).

Ramos is in Washington as a keynote speaker at the Washington Education Association (WEA) conference in Des Moines and asked the WEA if they could recommend a school he could visit since he had extra time while in town.

Shaw Road Paraeducator Carrie Sauder jumped at the chance when she heard about the request and she invited him to visit Shaw Road. She knows Ramos and has worked with him on committees in the past.

While in the classroom Ramos spent time working with McCurdy. He said they worked on some math and wrote a sentence in braille: “It is very nice to meet you.”

Ramos said McCurdy has great support and had high praise for Paraeducator Joan Lewis who works with him, “She gets it — helping educate and knowing when to step back.”

McCurdy’s mom, Demarie McCurdy was on hand for the visit. She said her son started kindergarten at Shaw Road. “He’s doing really well in class. The school has been really good at adjusting to his needs and making him feel included,” said McCurdy.

"This is my third year working with Colton at Shaw Road. He has learned and grown so much during that time. He is reading and writing braille in class to access the materials just like his peers. He is an amazing little boy. I really enjoy working with him,” said Katie Wellentin, UEB Braille Specialist.

Nancy French
frenchnl@puyallup.k12.wa.us

The Puyallup School District, in partnership with our diverse communities, educates and inspires students to reach their full potential.